Archive for January, 2010

I was working at a client location today and they showed me a marketing piece they were thinking about mailing. It had a lot of pretty colors and a catchy graphic but the message was the same tired list of features I’d seen a hundred times before… Worse yet, it was a standard flier from one of their suppliers w/their name added to the bottom – the same thing that a hundred other agents would be sending out.

Yes, it was cheap because of co-op dollars but to be honest the benefit wasn’t going to even be worth the cost of postage. I tried to gently explain to them the error of using that piece but it fell on deaf ears – they had no concept about or were unwilling to entertain any other marketing model.

Is this what your marketing effort looks like? Just a shotgun approach throwing anything you have at a broad market hoping something will stick? If so, you’re wasting a lot of time and resources.

If you really want to be effective, pick a market that you know you’re good at – then drill down to a subgroup of that market and figure out one felt need they have that you can provide and nobody else can (or is currently doing). Design a marketing piece around that need – make yourself the expert (as you’ve done the research, know and can identify with their pain) and focus on that one area. Make yourself the King of that particular niche, when you make the sale ask for a referral or two along with a testimonial. Before long you will be the ‘go-to’ person in that particular niche and when someone asks “where can I find a solution for this?” – your name is the only one people will remember.

An example? There are hundreds of auto auctions in each state that sell cars each week. The emphasis is on cheap (lowest common denominator) and you can get a good deal there – if you’re looking for junk.

Want a one-off classic or resto-mod muscle car? There’s only one name that comes to mind… Barrett-Jackson. They own that niche – all the big dollar car collectors and celebrities are there – in fact, they charge $45 a ticket just to let you in and look around – $500 and up to actually get in the auction area and bid on a vehicle. These guys are having fun as you can tell when you see them on TV. Yes, it’s hard work but instead of an auction every week they only have to have a couple each year and make millions more than your neighborhood auto auction busting their tail each and every week.

Plus, they only attract the very best clients – both buyers and sellers. Wouldn’t you like that to be your story – only entertain the best clients?

Pick a niche, become the expert and own it – it’s much more fun than groveling around with every other average schmuck who thinks they can compete against you…